County Executive Candidate Forum 10/06/2024 recap

I was able to attend one of the candidate forums, this one was sponsored by the NAACP and the Racine Interfaith Coalition hosted registration and refreshments. This is MY recap, any clarification will have to come from the candidates. We have 6 candidates running for this position:

• Cory Sebastian – she wants to hear all sides, and consider our socio-economic as well as cultural diversity of all ages before making a decision. Please click her name for more details, and “she” to get to know her as a person. As a small business owner and serving on various nonprofits boards and as a volunteer, and is eager to help Racine county as a whole, flourish. She is also currently serving as an alderperson on Racine City Council.
• Adam Jaskie is a newcomer to the public eye. As a family man from Waterford, he could use some extra help filling up nomination papers. He has a “loud voice” for the people, and is willing to go up the chain to get more to help Racine county. He offers a fresh voice.
• Lorenzo Santos has been involved with government offices such as Emergency Management for Ready Racine County, and a former Navy Reserves officer. He believes in grassroots organizing and believes that we empower everyone by getting people involved from the bottom up. He understands the inner workings of government.
• Wendy Christensen is the current Clerk of Courts and believes in the community. As a proud Racinian, she wants to run. She wasn’t present at this forum, so I don’t have her answers.
• Melvin Hargrove is a strong community leader and an ordained minister and founded Zoe Ministries. He has served in the Army, Racine police and fire, school board and more. He is for the development of our young people.
• Ralph Malicki has rooted in Racine, and has been a successful business owner in Racine, and has helped many people, groups, local/regional small businesses and produce farms/orchards, and so many more. He has also served on many nonprofits of all types and brings knowledge of where the gaps could be closed between government services and nonprofits.

Moderator Question 1: Out of all of the items that the late County Executive Jonathan Delagrave was working on, what do you agree with most and what would you cancel?

• Jaskie supports the 0.5% sales tax – not to disregard anyone, but would be a small solution to fund necessities like 911 services and infrastructure
• Hargrove supports the sales tax to keep city and county jobs going as well as health services across the board
• Malicki supports the sales tax and would prioritize where it would go
• Santos agrees with the sales tax to continue the many vital programs that Racine County residents have come to rely on.
• Sebastian supports for mental health, youth programs, and to share services to benefit the city and county

Moderator question 2: What are the thoughts about public safety

• Jaskie mentioned state tax surplus in Madison and would be a loud voice to bring some of those funds here, to help fund school safety, include greater scope to speak loud for us on a larger level
• Hargrove would steer conversation toward work, environment, partnerships, and make Racine a place to go, to live, and to work
• Malicki has proven himself in bringing together people and connecting people with churches and community groups to bridge the gaps in services
• Santos wants to equip the people responsible for safety and bridging the gaps in staffing underserved areas
• Sebastian believes we all deserve to be safe, adapt to the budget and continue serving in the best way possible

Moderator question 3: How would you approach the fentanyl and drug issues?

• Malicki would be proactive about getting addiction support by supporting programs like AA/NA, public health services, and reach out to places that can add to the services such as the nonprofit sector, to help save public funds
• Santos would work on prevention through education, utilize law enforcement and treatment programs including social programs to help teach the public to say no
• Sebastian loves nonprofits which often bridge the gaps that the public sector can’t do, and to look at duplicate services to see if some could redirect to areas not covered
• Jaskie wants to step up services to also look at trauma therapy as many who face addiction issues have underlying trauma that led to that in the 1st place. (as an advocate, I appreciate this)
• Hargrove would bring together the family, community, and maybe form a cabinet of teamwork to tackle this issue

Moderator question 4: how to balance the budget if the budget passes or fails:

• Santos wants to support public safety, economic support, health services lik LS, HHS, and prioritize on what should be on the budget
• Sebastian would work on the best way with what we have and together, work through things by not overlapping services. nonprofits can help bridge gaps
• Jaskie would cover he holes and would like to legalize medical cannabis, prioritize education and student safety
• Hargrove would cover mandates first, youth jobs and trade programs, education, and housing
• Malicki is willing to make the tough decisions and support partnerships with businesses, nonprofits and more, and would set priorities by talking to people

Public question 1: Homelessness is an issue, HALO is underutilized. What can you do to help people?

• Sebastian believes all deserve a roof over their heads and to be safe. Nonprofits can totally help fill this gap with other resources as well
• Jaskie would attract developers, get granting to our area and collaborate with other leadership to make things happen, reiterates being a big voice for Racine
• Hargrove would push for leadership from the entire county to collaborate to attract people to come to visit, spend money here, and make it attractive for businesses to come here
• Malicki would focus on HALO and collaborate and build bridges between various agencies to support jobs, transportation, rehab and education beyond high school
• Santos supports nonprofits to help as inflation is up, and there are gaps where people need help, and would reach out to state and federal legislators to press them to act as well

Public question 2: The economy is down, and has been for decades. What kind of permanent economic development to make the heart of the city and the county flourish again?

• Hargrove would work with agencies like RDCD, RAMAC, etc to ensure Microsoft is stable here, and that would attract more businesses here, help farms reach out to get more help, and reach out to new partnerships
• Malicki believes Microsoft is the biggest thing going on, and pushing the trades to foster long-term/futuristic skills as well as to attract more jobs to the city and reinvigorate the economy
• Santos would prioritize making US attractive to net new builders that will follow Microsoft. average age of Racine is 40, so for the long-term, would like to attract younger people to the area, and supports a commuter rail to bring people to the area.
• Sebastian is excited to build a balance of who works, lives and plays here as well as push trades for young people, and looks forward to what Microsoft can bring
• Jankie admits that Microsoft isn’t the end-all, but it’s a great start, and how this can lead to revitalization because more business would follow. He also supports light rail.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness had a candidate forum earlier in the month, which I could not attend, so I will not answer anything from that one, as I was not there.

here is the video, 1 hour, 42 minutes and 45 seconds, to get your own interpretation: https://www.facebook.com/BigHomieRay/videos/580246304575822

I’d like to ask my own question: Many 50+ people are struggling financially. Nonprofits aren’t the end-all. Those who are underemployed because they can’t work in factory, warehouse, or fast food due to health issues. How do you intend to bridge the gaps for this group, especially into retirement, because some of us can’t wait 20 years for economic programs? This is a serious concern for me and several people I know.

!!!!MOVE!!!!

I'm having a hectic period of time, moving from a house we were renting, into a house I just bought.  I have a lot less help and also not as young as I used to be, and it's taking a toll, but it will be worth it, once we're settled in.  There is a lot to reduce since the space we have is smaller, but easier to maintain.

In conjunction with moving, I'd like to tie in the newest development in my friend Soldwolf's story, Meeting the Parents.  It's a military sci-fi novel, which automatically means it's action-packed, and the characters are so endearing, I'm getting attached.  The interpersonal relationships range from interplanetary alliances & enemies, interspecies romance, and of course, the humor that goes into it all.  It's very intellectually written.  In this chapter (43), Opening Moves, an important meeting of military minds is happening, while the romantic couple is also on the lookout for a new house to call home.  The info that the hero's sister found out, $&it is getting ready to roll downhill, and a lot of strategizing is going on!  Is there a traitor or pirate lurking for the hero's betrothed's home planet?  Yikes! Big things are brewing for sure!

Concert Settings:

Back in April, my 19-year-old son treated me to the Billy Joel concert up at Miller Park Stadium.  Yes, I corrupted him...  He loves classic rock.  Other concerts he has gone to include ZZ Top and The Who.  Definitely a boy after his mother's heart.  I am fortunate.

I wonder if it is because growing up myself, I'd always been a music head, and love classical music, jazz, etc.  I even play clarinet and tenor saxophone, sang in the jazz choir, and can't imagine my life w/o music.  My son also is a musician.  As a preschooler, he'd sneak my harmonica and play along to his favorite cartoon shows at the beginning.  He now plays trumpet and is learning how to play acoustic guitar.  Yes, I'm bragging just a little bit...

To make things more interesting, I'd been involved at a young age helping out with various campaigns to get people elected since I was about 9, and got him started around the same age, maybe slightly older.  We also love Science Fiction.  We try to see every sci-fi flick that comes out on the big screen together, even if it's on $5/Tuesdays or at the Value Cinema.  It's pretty fun.  Everything from Star Trek to X-Men to whatever else that comes out...  Plus we love action, thrillers, and so much more.  I hope we can continue to do things together as he goes on, though I realize it will be a lot less often.

So, when I found out that my friend, Soldwolf is writing a military sci-fi story filled with action, humor and even a little romance story called Meeting the Parents, I was interested.  Because I like the story so much, I decided that I just have to share it, because it's too good not to share.  It's a neat storyline featuring a hero from post-unification Earth, where he is serving in the UN military, and his love is from a prominent family on a planet called Tamal, a humanoid race that evolved from herbivores.  This Tamalnii heroine is such an endearing character, you'll be cheering on for her and her people as well as for her and her studly to make it through to the end.

Chapter 41:  Post Takedowns - With so much going on, people need to chill out to make out sensible reports...  Oh, the info collected is huge.  I'm just wondering what kind of smackdown is awaiting in the future...

Happy reading!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

Advocacy & More

As the founder of Youth Voice Initiative, I get called upon often to do advocacy work, whether it's for a single parent who needs a letter written to the courts, or to speak up for a special needs child, or to help see what kinds of programs are available for various things whether it's a support group or just information in general.  It is truly rewarding to know that I can help make a difference for some people, including the lives of children.

Because of the experiences I've had, I'm also a volunteer advocate for Sexual Assault Services, and take the crisis phone to offer peer support as well as to make hospital visits for recent survivors.  It's not always easy work, but very worthwhile, because sometimes as the advocate, I might be the only one they see as being on their side.  One thing I enjoy doing, when there are small children present, whether the survivor is a child or the adult survivor brings their children in, is that I like to read age-appropriate books with them.  Reading often reduces stress and allows people to feel more normal.

In my own free time, I enjoy reading as well, and my favorite genre is Science Fiction, just because it's filled with action, technology, culture, and more.  It fascinates me.  The current story I'm reading is still a work in progress by a friend of mine, Soldwolf, called Meeting the Parents, which is a military sci-fi set in the future, where Earth is unified and has allies culturally and militarily with other humanoid type species intergalactically.  Please check previous blogs for more information, if you'd like.

Parties, Friends & Guests (Ch 33) We all like to eat. Sometimes it's nice to not have to cook, and it's even better when you have your special place with that special someone. The earth hero, Scott, even found a favorite spot on his lovely's planet that he even wants to show off to his family! But the question is, though, are the potential in-laws going to get along with each other? Or will it be a disaster? The dynamics can get interesting, so just read & find out for yourself. I just have to wonder though, where are MY Kyoto hair sticks?

Gathering Friends (Ch 34) It's fun to meet new people, especially when they're going to be important connections. While exciting and comforting, it can get overwhelming. I'm feeling the hero, who is anxious about remembering names, but fortunately, his lovely & her family are there for support. Even with his military friends, it's all about balancing work & life. I'm just wondering though, will they get to introduce Cajun cooking to these nice Tamalnii people? If this chapter doesn't tug at your heartstrings, I don't know what will.

Friends Reunited (Ch35) It's refreshing to find that even big tough guys can have a gentle soul, and how often, they could use a personal hero, too. heartwarming stuff, and when reuniting with friends, who are also formally connected, what better than hosting an official dance? And then of course, what is a dance w/o doing more party planning? So much fun stuff going for sure!

A Circle of Friends (Ch36) Everyone needs a good one of these, and I tell you, the hero and his lovely are lucky to have who they have. I'm really digging the new characters introduced, and how they get back to business on both work and personal fronts! Oh, and some huge things are brewing, so you don't want to miss out on the action!

Now, please be a dear, and click the highlighted areas, they're hyperlinks to where you need to go to read.

I can't want to like that!

Our children are funny.  They all make me laugh.  I can't count the number of times I laughed until I hurt because my son would say the damndest things, and at 19, he's STILL cracking me up.  Plus, being a boy after his mother's heart, he loves Science Fiction and the weird stuff too, so I'm going to try to get him into my friend Soldwolf's military sci-fi story, Meeting the Parents - which so far capitalizes on so many of my interests. I’m hoping to share his stuff, just because the characters are endearing, and while the hero & his betrothed are strong people who can not only steal the scenes but the show and thunder too. Plus, the more hits that are received, the better he can catch the attention of publishers who may end up helping him to get a book deal that could end up on the shelf... I’m linking my previous blogs as a reference for previous chapters published...

Anyway, I remember the time when my son was the ripe age of 2. Yes, 2. he was probably one of the easiest 2-year-olds, since he rarely threw a tantrum. I could count on less than one hand how many he had in a week, and if he had a particularly large one, I knew it would be a while before another occurred. But I digress... Poor lil guy. We did some deep house cleaning one day, and here it was 8 pm and we hadn't started cooking dinner yet, and he was patiently annoyed by the fact that he was hungry and tired. We took out a glass jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce and figured we'd doctor it up. Italian food is ultimately his favorite food to this day. So we get it on a plate, and he practically jumps into his high chair, eagerly grabs his fork & starts twirling the pasta like a champ. It goes into his mouth, and oh, the look on his face! As he's chewing, he throws his fork onto his plate. While swallowing he pushes the plate away and as soon as he catches his breath, insists, "I CAN'T WANT TO LIKE THAT" Ooh, boy!!! It was one of the better brands you can buy, yet, here is this ripe old 2 years who knows it's not the good homemade stuff and refused to have any of it! A food connoisseur at this age? Whoda thunk? Well, he's always hated Spaghetios, too. Go figure. Now, he works at a 5* restaurant.

I think my young chef would like Soldwolf's story, and in chapters 1-4 (listed in my blog I Have A Story About That) shows how a futuristic Earth would have a single conglomerate military that works in alliance with each other as opposed to individual countries being separate, which not only unites humanity but also has alliances with other humanoid species.

Going back a couple of years before my son was even born, I remember picking up my Godchild from kindergarten on a nice fall afternoon, and on the way home, he's pointing out the various trees randomly & casually stating, "Oh, look. That tree is naughty. Oh, and that one, too. Ah! That one is really naughty!"... Just to have the record straight, I asked, "Why are the trees naughty"? and braced myself... "Because the trees are BUTT-NAKED"! I about tripped over my own feet.

My Godson always loved reading active books, and I'ms sure he'd enjoy this, too, especially the hero, who is strongly focused, yet protective over his Talmanii sidekick, who keeps him balanced. In chapters 5-8, posted within Reading, Writing & Tutoring, you'll see the character development of these two.

Then there was the time when my nephew was in preschool... My sister in law and niece lived upstairs, and he'd slept over... I woke up in the morning with my niece knocking on the door to say that her cousin crapped in the driveway... Oooh-wee! And there he is, with this bewildered look, and could have played Calvin from the comic strip, Calvin & Hobbs. My sister in law was called to clean up. It still makes me giggle thinking about this.

Mind you, now, he's kind of like the barbecue master on that side of the family, and he also does yard work & flies homing pigeons as a hobby. He'd love chapters 9-12 from Interesting Tidbits just because it would be interesting for him to learn about the space adventures that happen out there.

Fast forward a few months, into mid/late fall, when my sister in law made lasagna that didn't hold together... My Godson 1st stated it looked like throw-up then decided to call it lasagna soup. At my niece's birthday, she was going to make lasagna again, and the nephew, who'd heard about the lasagna soup exclaims, "I don't want to eat lasagna that looks like throw-up"! I locked myself into the bathroom... fortunately it all came out fine.

I think my niece would like the character development so far because of the main couple as this interspecies being so endearing, as you'll see more in chapters 13-16 in my Rants blog, to cheer this cute Talmanii gal with the cute ears and her studly Earthling hero. Her mother, my sister in law, would fall in love with the romance of the couple, and how her family supports the relationship. Chapters 17-20 is captured in Summer fun & Adventures.

Please read and if you could, keep reading. It is a work in progress, and you'd be helping a veteran break into the business. With enough hits, he can catch the attention of the publishers and possibly get his story published into a book.

I just love these characters in the story, though. The main gal is kind of a contradiction and in some ways. She is strong, capable and independent, yet is close to her family as you read in Goodbye's & Travels (Ch 21). She is also adventurous & curious while cautious in a smart way as you'll see in (Ch 22) Journeys & Preparations. Because she knows how to balance work, family & relationships, she appreciates her studly for his strength and enjoys that he accepts her family the way they do him in Preparations (Ch 23). And who knows what to look for, when there are Deliveries to be made, and are the dynamic duo sending or receiving these in chapter 24?

Summer fun, adventures & ...

It is the middle of May, and the weather acts like it's the beginning of April.  Strange things for sure, but, I am fortunate that it's raining when it's not sunny out.  Living in Wisconsin, it seems as if we can get all 4 seasons in a ridiculously short amount of time.  I'm just waiting for my favorite season, which never lasts long enough, which is summer.  I know some people don't like the temps higher than about 75, but, here is how I figure...  The East Coast gets earthquakes.  The Southwest is desert-like.  The Southeast gets hurricanes.  New England gets terrible blizzards.  The Pacific Northwest and further north can get terribly cold on top of getting 10' of snow at a time, and so I figure being here in S.E. Wisconsin isn't so bad.

Some of the things I like to do in the summer is to go swimming at the beach.  It's not always nice enough, so I do have a pass to the YMCA, so if by chance I'm actually able to get a vacation (which is unlikely) I can use the Y anywhere in the USA.  So for now, my vacations will have to consist of going to places like Lake Michigan, Quarry Lake Park, Root River, etc...  Barbecues are also nice, but, of course, a date night out at a park going all out picnic style would be awesome!

On rainy days, I love to read. Whether it's an actual book, eBook download, online, where ever...  My favorite genres are Sci-Fi, action, thrillers, mysteries, and on occasion, biographies (if I'm interested in the person).  One of my favorite authors is Lee Child, who does military thrillers, so, when I found out that a friend is writing military sci-fi, I was intrigued and had to start reading...  I've mentioned in my previous blogs about Soldwolf, with his story, Meeting the Parents which has its share of romance between an intergalactic couple where the hero is an earthling who is an NCO/UNSC, and his betrothed is a humanoid from the planet of Talminii and she seriously would make an excellent Wisconsinite because she is a cheesehead just like us, even though she looks like she should want to eat salads with those ears of hers...

Please have a read, and just remember, with more reads on these chapters, Soldwolf has a higher chance of getting noticed by publishers and then hopefully published into a real book to get put on bookstore shelves.  Not only would it be cool for me to be able to brag that one of MY friend's stuff is at the stores, but, just think how much more exciting for him to have his stuff out like that?  Don't be a lurker, go ahead and read. If you have any questions for me, please ask. 

Chapter 17 First Night Out is the couple's commitment party, hosted by the bride-to-be's sponsors help show off the couple to their friends, family, and the general public.  Of course, this tall & muscular human doesn't get the reception you'd think he'd get...

Chapter 18 Dessert - well, duh, if you're going to have a party to celebrate, you have to get some good after dinner treats, right?  Of course!  But will it be cheesecake?  Chocolate souffle?  Or my personal favorite, a fresh fruit compote?  Well, read and find out!

Chapter 19 Concert, those lucky people!  I could go for getting treated to some cool music and more!  They might be VIP's, or they might try to sneak in with the regular crowd, and the adventures continue through this chapter, and it's cute how the special couple have a special name for the evening.

Chapter 20 A Mother's Gift is special.  Although my personal situation is from a different angle, it was special to read about how a special item was left for when the hero would find his forever mate, and while I'm no romantic, mind you, it melted me a little as to what & how it had to get delivered.

Happy reading people, and support starving artists of all sorts, which includes painters, musicians, actors, and writers!